Fisht Olympic Stadium:

Olympic Ave, Sochi, Krasnodarskiy kray, 354340, Russia

Of all of the stadiums used for the FIFA World Cup in Russia in 2018, the Fisht Olympic Stadium is arguably the one with the most interesting story attached to it. It was originally built with the specific purpose of being used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, which is where it gets its name from. When Russia won the right to host the 2018 World Cup it was decided that the stadium could be used as one of the venues for World Cup matches. It was also used in the 2017 Confederations Cup as something of a 'practice' ahead of 2018.

One of the most interesting things about it is that it is not the home of any particular football team. Unlike most stadiums, which are built with the aim of hosting a club, Fisht Olympic Stadium had no aim other than hosting the major tournaments that Russia was awarded. There were plans for a Russian First Division side named FC Zhemchuzhina-Sochi to move into the ground, but the club was dissolved in 2013 so those plans were scrapped. Instead the Russian national side uses the ground as a training venue. It’s also rumoured that the local Formula 1 track might end up running through it.

Getting To Fisht Olympic Stadium

Train - It would take you just shy of three hours to travel from London to Sochi by train. Some might see that as an adventure, others an absolute nightmare. Regardless, once you’re in the city you’ll have two choices of train stations to look out for, with Olympic Park being the closest and Olympic Village being slightly further away. A large number of commuter trains stop at both.

Bus - Buses 57k and 125s both stop at Fisht Arena Bus & Coach Station, which is opposite the ground. If you want to travel there by bus, then, they’re the ones to look out for.

Car - The A-147 is the main road that runs past the Olympic Stadium, so that’s the one you’ll be looking for if you’re driving.

By Air - Sochi International Airport is the closest to the city of Sochi, located as it is around twenty miles or so from the centre.

Taxi - A taxi from close to the centre of Sochi out to the stadium will cost you in the region of 730 Rubles and will take about forty minutes to complete its journey.

Parking Near Fisht Olympic Stadium

There are numerous parking areas around the entire Olympic Village area, so you are unlikely to struggle to find somewhere to leave your car if you drive to the stadium.

Useful Resources

Fisht Olympic Stadium Hotels

The Art-hotel is not far from the beach, so when the weather’s good you’ll have a somewhere to head to to sunbathe and relax. There’s an outdoor tennis court if that’s something you’re interested in, plus a playground for youngsters to use. There’s free Wi-Fi and free parking if you’re driving, but there are only just over thirty rooms so be quick to book if you want to stay here. More details.

This hotel is also near to the beach and actually has even less rooms - fifteen to be exact. There’s a garden area and an outdoor pool, so if you’re hoping to have a splash then it’s ideal. You’ll be able to use the hotel’s Wi-Fi for free during your stay and if you’re there at the right time of year then the hotel will be able to help you hire skis. It’s less than a mile to the stadium from here, too, so you won’t have too far to walk for the match. More details.

Located just under two miles from the ground is this pleasant hotel with an indoor pool, meaning you’ll be able to go for a swim regardless of the time of year or the weather. There’s a garden for when it’s sunny and an arcade room to keep the kids happy. There’s a snack bar within the hotel where you can get a small bite to eat, plus free Wi-Fi for if you want to get in touch with someone back home or get some work done. More details.

Pubs & Bars Near Fisht Olympic Stadium

Baden-Baden

Mira Street, 161, Adler, Sochi 354340 (+7 988 233 00 76)

Typically you’d find that English pubs are the most common for us to mention when it comes to sports bars in foreign countries, but that’s not the case this time. Baden-Baden is, as the name suggests, a pub in the German style. Consequently you’ll find a number of excellent beers on tap and on a constant rotation, as well as food such as pig’s ears, sausages and currywurst.

Dobry Ale

Kurortny Prospekt, 16, Central District (+7 862 296 70 03)

Located at the top of a shopping centre but staying open later than the shops it resides next to, the Dobry Ale is often rammed full of people, such is the desire of people within Sochi to watch live sport and have a good time. Loads of different beers are available as well as tasty food, but it’s the live sport on the TV screens that you’ll no doubt be the most interested in.

Stargorod

Ulitsa Primorskaya, 19, Central District (+7 862 227 07 57)

This bar offers incredible views of the sea, so it’s the sort of place you’ll want to go if you enjoy looking at something whilst you eat. It’s a Czech themed place, so you know the beers are going to be good and the food delicious. Expect the likes of suckling pig, roasted bird or a plate of sausages. Live sport is also the order of the day here, so it’s a decent place to go even if neither food nor views nor Czech lager are of interest to you.

Hospitality

There are a number of hospitality areas within the stadium, mostly located between the two tiers that run along the side of the pitch and in certain seated sections. At the time of writing there’s also a tented area outside of the stadium where some hospitality hosting takes place before people move to luxurious seating inside the ground.

Private Hire

It’s typical for stadiums to offer their hospitality sections for hire for events, so if this is something that you’re interested in and your Russian is good then you could get into touch with the club and see what they say.

Stadium Tours & Museum

At the time of writing there are no official tours of the stadium available, though you might be able to do an unofficial tour of the old Winter Olympic venues that includes at least a passing by of the Fisht Olympic Stadium.

Fisht Olympic Stadium History

Named after Mount Fisht in the Caucasus Mountains, Fisht Olympic Stadium was originally an enclosed venue when it was used for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2014. It closed not long after the end of the Olympics and was re-designed to make it ready for the purpose of hosting football in the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It re-opened in 2016 but by that point it had been converted into an open-air stadium. When it was closed over the roof was intended to look like the snowy peaks of the mountain range the ground was named in honour of.

It cost in the region of £500 million to build the venue, which is money that was well spent if you believe in the importance of making history. It is the only stadium in the world that has hosted Olympic events, Confederations Cup football and World Cup matches. The only ground that comes close is the Stadio Olimpico in Italy, though that hasn’t hosted the Confederations Cup. The Central Bank of Russia commemorated the ground in 2013 when it released a 100 Ruble note that had the Fisht Olympic Stadium on one side and a snowboarder on the other.

Future Developments

Given that the stadium was re-designed for the Confederations Cup in 2017, it’s about as modern a football ground as you’ll find. As such, there are not many alterations that are likely to happen to it any time soon, though it’s entirely possible that some cosmetic changes will take place when necessary.